Getting more restrictive

The EPA was one of the best agencies we ever started. I was working for Amoco Chemicals at Joliet, Ill., on the Des Plains River at the time. We were very happy with their regulations and soon met their pollution reduction. They are getting more restrictive and sending more and more manufacturing out of our country.

Take electrical production from coal generators. In Marquette we have or could be losing 40 jobs because of the generators don’t quite meet the restrictions. The sad part of this is the countries that buy these coal generators and leave all of the pollution control.

Also, our power costs will probably be increased about 10 percent. In cases like this, I would suggest we allow the operation to continue if 60 percent of the people in the affected area approve the operation.

In the coal industry alone, this would increase our jobs by thousands and tax revenue by billions. I am sure this would be true in many other situations.

Another place we’re spending billions is spraying U.S.A., Canada, and the Pacific Ocean to prevent global warming thousands of years from now. This has probably helped cause the Midwest rain drought that caused the disaster last year and our varied weather pattern changes.

Let’s stop global warming spraying at least until we balance our budget. The worst part of our strict regulations is countries to our south and west have little or no pollution control.

All of their pollution goes north through Alaska and east through U.S.A. and Canada. Again, this is probably causing our change in weather patterns.

We cannot do a whole lot about other countries atmospheric pollution but I would suggest at least a 10 percent tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from any country that does not have pollution control.

Half of the money should go to Social Security fund and the other half to reduction of the national debt.

As a sideline to this issue, I would like to comment on gun control. Let’s make it easy, 10 years in prison on first offense, death by firing squad for second offense and illegal to own machine guns or any rifle with over eight bullets.

All of our existing proposals are so complicated that they will cost billions to attempt to control and those that use them illegally will not turn them in.